The Amusing Life

A FORMER ADMAN, an actor, a prolific writer, and—judging by the cover photo on his latest book—David Leddick is a remarkably well-preserved man in his eighties. He served in the Navy in World War II and danced at the Metropolitan Opera in the 1950s. These personal details figure in this “autobiographical novel,” a phrase that blurs the distinction between an author’s real life and an imagined story. Despite the ambiguity of the title, the voice that dominates the book seems to belong to Leddick rather than to a character he has created.

Sign Up for The Gay & Lesbian Review’s Newsletter!

The Gay & Lesbian Review / Worldwide (The G&LR) is a bimonthly magazine targeting an educated readership of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered (GLBT) men and women. Under the tagline, “a bimonthly journal of history, culture, and politics,” The G&LR publishes essays in a wide range of disciplines as well as reviews of books, movies, and plays.